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Would you feel safe on an aircraft that had blown out a tire right after takeoff? For the 175 passengers and six crew members aboard Alaska Airlines flight 309 on Thursday evening, they didn’t have a choice. RELATED: Alaska and Hawaiian airlines merger finalized

Alaska Airlines airplanes.The flight departed Washington Dulles International Airport at 5:28pm and touched down a little lighter at Los Angeles International Airport at 8:10pm local time. According to the airline, there were no reported injuries.

ABC7 reports: “The cabin crew reported over the radio feeling a “jolt” strong enough to pop open some overhead luggage bins and trigger one emergency oxygen mask to fall from the ceiling.”

“They asked the airport to check the runway to see if perhaps they ran over something on the surface or if they did in fact lose some of the tire.

Crews checked the tarmac surface and confirmed finding pieces of tire. “There’s no reason we can see to discontinue the flight at this point,” a cabin crew member is heard saying on radio traffic. “Just press on to Los Angeles and take care of it there.”

A passenger aboard the flight recorded the landing, which appeared to be smooth but must have been nerve-wracking for all aboard the aircraft. Watch the embedded video below:

Passengers applauded with relief when the aircraft finally touched down in Los Angeles. First responders were standing by as the plane landed at LAX as a precaution but according to airport officials, the aircraft safely taxied to the gate without disrupting operations.

In a statement about the incident, Alaska Airlines said: “While this incident is a rare occurrence, our flight crews train extensively to safely manage through many scenarios. We understand this might have been a concerning moment for our guests on board. We apologize for what they experienced.”

The aircraft, a Boeing 737-900, will be taken out of service for a thorough investigation.

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1 Comment On "Alaska Airlines plane loses tire after takeoff and continues cross-country flight to LAX"
  1. Marlin|

    Not like you really would have choice if you feel safe or not, the plane has to land again one way or another, might as well get you to your destination.

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